Stanford womens' soccer season preview

By john reid

Daily News Staff Writer

Posted:
08/16/2014 12:35:58 AM PDT

Updated:
08/16/2014 12:35:59 AM PDT

Stanford had a five-year streak of College Cup appearances end last season, losing 2-0 to eventual NCAA women's soccer champion UCLA in the Round of 16. The Cardinal finished 15-6-1 under Paul Ratcliffe, who is entering his 12th season.

"Last year was a good year for us," said Ratcliffe, 194-43-21 in his days at Stanford. "We had a young team with five freshmen starting many games. We grew as a team through the year."

The Cardinal, ranked No. 6 in the coaches' preseason top 25, return nine starters, most notably electric forwards Taylor Uhl and Chioma Ubogagu and physical midfielder Lo'eau LaBonta. Uhl, who led Stanford in goals last year with 12, and LaBonta were named to the watch lsit for the Hermann Trophy, the award given to the nation's best player.

"We have a lot of girls coming back from last year," said Uhl, who transferred from the University of Minnesota before last season. "That's always good for team chemistry. We have a strong senior class. We have a solid backline with some cool attacking play up top."

"We have more experience and more balance in this squad," Ratcliffe said. "There is strength throughout each line. If we keep everyone healthy and everyone works hard, we can have a really fun year."

Uhl and Ubogagu, who has 17 goals and 27 assists in her career at Stanford, have the most experience in the forwards. Uhl is seeking more production from herself this season.

"I can be a lot more dangerous than I was last year," Uhl said. "I can get in on more services, just all-around. I can be a bigger goal-scorer this year."

Advertisement

Ratcliffe may be calling on highly regarded freshmen Kyra Carusa (Del Norte-San Diego), Mariah Lee, who prepped at Kentwood in Covington, Wash., and Andi Sullivan, out of South County School in Lorton, Va. Lorton is a suburb of Washington, D.C. Senior forward Haley Rosen returns after missing most of last year with an injury and should add depth.

Senior midfielder Alex Doll was one of three players who started all 22 games last year. Senior Hannah Farr of St. Ignatius-San Francisco brings some needed experience to the midfield, as does sophomore Stephanie Amack, who can also play in the backline.

Junior defender Laura Liedle started all 22 matches a year ago, while Maddie Bauer started 21 matches on defense. Fifth-year senior defender Kendall Romine had 18 starts in 2013.

Ratcliffe listed junior Sarah Cox as his starting goalie. However, Ratcliffe added there will be a three-way competition throughout the year with sophomore Jane Campbell and freshman Alison Jahansouz, from Edison-Huntington Beach. Campbell, a member of the U20 national team, started 18 matches last season, recording two shutouts in the NCAA tournament.

"Alison is a really talented goalkeeper, but she's coming off a long-term injury and working on getting healthy," Ratcliffe said. "When Alison gets healthy, it's going to be a real battle with all three goalies."

Ratcliffe stated that only a few positions are locked up, if that.

"A lot of positions are up for grabs," Ratcliffe said. "Nothing is set in stone. Everyone is competing. We're trying to find the right system to match the players."

Three local freshmen, should not only help with ticket sales, they might see some serious action on the field. Gunn-Palo Alto's Sarah Robinson, Menlo School-Atherton's Jaye Boissiere and Menlo-Atherton's Zoe Pacalin all played club soccer together with the Mountain View/Los Altos Mercury. Robinson, a midfielder, won the 1,600 meters in the state track meet this past spring.

"It's fun to play with the likes of Taylor Uhl and Chioma Ubogagu," Robinson said. "I've been watching the team for so long. It's nice to get to play with them, finally. It's a cool experience."

Boissiere and Pacalin are also listed at midfield on the Cardinal roster.

"I hope the three local freshmen come in and make an immediate impact," Ratcliffe said. "They're really talented players. They're from a very good club and have been taught well. The question is can they adjust to the physicality and the speed of play of college? I think they can because they are so technical, but it takes some time."

"The freshmen have come in with great attitudes," Uhl said. "I'm happy to see them transition here and be a big part of this team."

Stanford opens the season at traditional power North Carolina on Friday. First home match for the Cardinal is Sept. 4 vs. UC Santa Barbara at 7:30 p.m. The Pac-12 opener is at Utah on Sept. 26. With teams playing each other once, Stanford is at preseason No. 1 UCLA on Oct. 9 in their only meeting.

"We are excited to get down there and play UCLA and see what we're made of," Uhl said. "We know they're a dominant program."

"UCLA is going to be a strong team again, but there are a lot of strong teams in the Pac-12," Ratcliffe said. "There is so much parity in women's soccer now that every game is going to be a challenge."